Gardening Like a Tech Guru
Ideal Low-Maintenance Greenery for Your Front Veranda
Need tips on how to keep your garden running smoothly without breaking a sweat? Look no further, as our resident Grumpy Gardener has the lowdown on the best digital gardening tools!
Don't Let Tech Ruin Your Garden
While tempting to dive into the world of automated gardening tools, be mindful of potential pitfalls. For instance, remotely controlled sprinklers and mowers might eventually lead to ominous consequences such as flooding your wine cellar or mowing your neighbor's beloved pet. Proceed with caution!
A Front Porch Focal Point
Sporting an attention-grabbing potted plant on your front porch can turn it into a stunning focal point for your home. One such eye-catcher is the Charlie Boy Cordyline, a bold, perennial plant that grows two to three feet tall and forms a beautiful upright, fountain-like shape. Its stunning pink and burgundy leaves will definitely steal the show, and it's tough as nails, requiring only full-to-part sun and well-drained soil. It's winter-hardy in zones 8 to 10, but if you reside somewhere colder, you can overwinter it indoors before a freeze.
Advice for the Avid Gardener
Hosted by Southern Living's Grumpy Gardener, or simply Steve Bender, Ask Grumpy is a podcast that delivers gardening advice tailored to your every need. Tune in every Wednesday and Saturday as Grumpy offers guidance on gardening tasks, answers reader questions, and shares his signature Grumpy humor to keep things light. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to catch your favorite shows.
Editor's Note: Please be aware that this transcript may contain errors and inaccuracies throughout the course of the editorial process.
Download Transcript
Now, let's talk about some tech-powered gadgets that can help you maintain your garden with minimal effort:
Robot Mowers
- Mammotion's Yuka: This robot mower boasts GPS, a reference station, a camera, AI, and can handle lawns of up to ¾ an acre, all while significantly minimizing the need for manual mowing through its app-controlled navigation.
Indoor Gardening
- AeroGarden Bounty Elite Artisan: This system allows you to grow up to nine plants indoors, providing a small gardening solution for those who live in smaller spaces and want to minimize their outdoor gardening tasks.
- Rise Single Hydroponic Garden: This sleek, self-watering hydroponic system makes it simple to grow plants indoors, reducing the need for outdoor care.
- EDN Indoor Herb Garden: Easily grow herbs indoors without the hassle of managing an outdoor garden using this convenient smart system.
Additional Tools
- Smart Pruning Tools: Reap the benefits of Ryobi's USB Lithium Shear Shrubber, a lightweight tool that simplifies shrub maintenance with minimal effort.
- Digital Soil Meters: Avoid guesswork in your gardening endeavors with a device like the Yamron 4-in-1 Soil Meter, which measures pH, temperature, moisture, and sunlight levels.
- The 'Charlie Boy Cordyline' is a striking plant that can turn your front porch into a captivating focal point, ideal for its height, shape, and vibrant pink and burgundy leaves.
- 'Ask Grumpy', hosted by Steve Bender, is a podcast where you can find Gardening advice for various tasks, questions, and humor on Wednesdays and Saturdays, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or other platforms.
- The Mammotion's Yuka robot mower uses GPS, a camera, AI, and can manage lawns of up to ¾ an acre, making it easier to maintain with an app-controlled navigation system.
- For those living in smaller spaces, consider the AeroGarden Bounty Elite Artisan or Rise Single Hydroponic Garden to grow indoor plants for a convenient gardening solution.
- To simplify shrub maintenance and herb growth, consider smart pruning tools like Ryobi's USB Lithium Shear Shrubber or digital soil meters like the Yamron 4-in-1 Soil Meter, which measures pH, temperature, moisture, and sunlight levels.
